Printing natural sausage casings



June 7, 1938. c. 'r. WALTER 2,119,729

PRINTING NATURAL SAUSAGE CASINGS Filed May 27, 1935 TRADE-MAR M czar/e3 Z fl dlter.

INVENTOR W I T N E .s a

am I BY ATTORNEY Patented June 7, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,119,729 p PRINTING NATURAL SAUSAGE CASINGS Charles T. Walter, Chicago, Ill., assignor to lndustrial Patents Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application May 27, 1935, Serial 'No. 23.665

13 Claims. (01. 99-109)- Thls invention relates to a "method of printing bination of such resins. Thus, ester gum, other natural sausage casings prepared from animal natural gums, or synthetic gums, such as potenintestines and to the product thereof. tially reactive phenol-condensation products may i One of the objects cf'the invention is to probe employed.

'5 vide a method for printing natural casings pre- .A suitable waterproofspar varnish may be pared from animal intestines bearing a printedused in accordance with the specifications of the mark or character. Bureal of Standards, entitled United States Another object of the invention is to provide Government Master Specification for Varnish, a preprinted natural animal casing. Spar Water 'Resisting, Federal Specifications Other objects of the invention will be apparent Board No. 18b. 10

from the description and claims which follow. Any suitable substitute may be employed for Referring now to the drawing: the paraflin and petroleum jelly mixture of the Figure 1 is a perspective view of a section of waxy character set forth above. Where a mixsausage with a casing treated in accordance ture of paraffin and petroleum jelly is employed with the present invention. preferably they are in the proportion of 5 to 7 15' Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view on the line parts paraffin .to 1.00 parts of petroleum jelly. 22 of Figure 1. The lithographic linseed oil employed is one It will be seen that the finished casing comwhich has been changed in consistency by the prises animal membrane I, cellulose film 2 and application of heat. A suitable range of con- .20 characters 3, the characters being printed on the sistencies is from 0000 to No. 8, as designated in cellulose film. the trade pertaining to litho-oils.

I have found that although certain types of The casing is prepared for printing by first animal casings may be printed in accordance with drying or semidrying. The dried or semidried the teachings of my copending application encasing is then coated with a thin film of cellulose titled Treatment of casings, Serial No. 23,664, viscose which film is then regenerated into sub- 25 filed May 27, 1935, that certain casings such as stantially pure cellulose by immersion in a suitweasands have a tendency to resist adherence able regenerating bath such as a solution of soof the ink. dium sulphate slightly acidified with sulphuric The present invention is directed to a method acid. Up n regeneration e fi m becomes a of treating such casings in a manner which will transparent and glossy and adheres firmly to the 30 assure adherence of the ink. In carrying out surface of the casing which may now be washed the method of the present invention I employ an and dried in the usual manner. In the dried con.- lnk which is waterproof, smokeproof and opaque. dition, the cellulose film. which is quite thin, is

An example of an ink composition which is firmly bonded to the casing.

satisfactory is as follows, percentages being indi- I prefer to treat the,coated casing with a hygro- 35 cated by weight: scopic agent such as glycerin to render it pliable.

' Percent The casing may then be printed with any of the- Plgment (such as an oxide of titanium) 60-65 inks ordinarily used for printing artificial sau- F uid medium or menstruum 40-35 sage casings, which ink is then dried or hardened- The fluid medium, or fiuid vehicle, which car- An exa'mp 18 of the ink whlcr'l may be used 40 fies the pigments referab] 1 that which already has been discussed.

' y comm In practice I prepare weasands for drying in p t the casing room. The weasands are then inflated p oof spar varnish 1o o with air and tied at both ends. The wet in- Unsaponifiable waxy or greasy matter (for fiated weasands are then returned to a drying 45 example 5 to '7 parts of paraffin and 100 v room where they become thoroughly dry after a D petroleum jelly) 5-10 number of hours. After the inflated weasands Lithographic linseed oils (lithe-oils) 70. 5 have become partially dried so that the outside surface is free from excess moisture the weasands y Suitable p varnish may be empl are coated with a thin layer of cellulose viscose 50 Preferably a varnish known in the varnish trade which may be applied in any appropriate mana 0 8 C n -W 0 Va 15 usedner, as brushing, spraying or-dipping. It is prefxamp the varn s may comprise 5 allons of erable to have the cellulose viscose solution dia drying oil, preferably China-wood oil, to 100 luted. A commercial cellulose viscose solution pounds of a natural or synthetic resin, or a comdiluted with about three parts of water is found 55 to be satisfactory and may be handled with a spray gun or a dip tank. After being coated with the cellulose viscose solution the inflated weasands are submerged in a suitable regenerating bath for a few minutes, removed and washed. After this treatment the weasands are suitable for printing in any desired manner.

I have found that in the case of inks that do not ordinarily give good results due to failure to stand rubbing when wetted in the ordinary sausage stufling room handling, good results may be obtained by wetting only the inside of a dried pre-coated printed weasand. This may be done by placing an open end of an inflated weasand over a perforated pipe and spraying water over the'inner surface. This treatment softensthe casing sufficiently to permit stufiing without affecting the printing on the outer surface.

In the claims which follow, the term "natural casings will be understood to be limited to casings prepared from animal membranes such as intestines.

I claim:

1. The method of treating natural casings which comprises coating the outer surface with cellulose viscose and regenerating substantially pure cellulose from the cellulose viscose.

2. The method of treating natural casings which comprises coating the outer surface with cellulose viscose, regenerating substantially pure cellulose from the cellulose viscose and printing thereon.

3. The method of treating natural casings whichcomprises coating the outer surface with cellulose viscose, regenerating substantially pure cellulose from the cellulose viscose and printing thereon with a smokeproof, moistureproof opaque ink.

, 4. The method of treating natural casings which comprises coating the outer surface with cellulose viscose, regenerating substantially pure cellulose from the cellulose viscose, treating the coated casing with glycerin and printing thereon.

the outer surface of casings with cellulose viscose,

regenerating substantially pure cellulose from the cellulose viscose, printing thereon, drying the preprinted casing. moistening the inner surface of the casing and stufiing.

7. The method of preparing preprinted sausages in animal casings which comprises drying the casings, coating the outer surface with cellulose viscose, regenerating substantially pure cellulose from the cellulose viscose, printing thereon, drying the preprinted casing, moistening the inner surface of the casing and stufiing.

8. A sausage casing comprising a portion of animal intestine with a film of cellulose on the outer surface.

9. A sausage casing comprising a portion of animal intestine with a film of cellulose on the outer surface bearing printed characters.

10. A sausage casing comprising a portion of animal intestine with a film of cellulose on the outer surface bearing printed characters formed with smokeproof, moistureproof opaque ink.

11. A sausage product provided with a casing comprising a portion of animal intestine with a film of cellulose on the outer surface.

12. A sausage product provided with a casing comprising a portion of animal intestine with a film of cellulose on the outer surface bearing printed characters.

13. A sausage product provided with a casing comprising a portion of animal intestine with a film of cellulose on the outer surface bearing printed characters formed with smokeproof, moistureproof opaque ink.

CHARLES T. WALTER. 

